diff --git a/main/util/src/mill/util/PromptLogger.scala b/main/util/src/mill/util/PromptLogger.scala
index 4459d33dd39..4c06142ffc7 100644
--- a/main/util/src/mill/util/PromptLogger.scala
+++ b/main/util/src/mill/util/PromptLogger.scala
@@ -63,23 +63,28 @@ private[mill] class PromptLogger(
   if (enableTicker) refreshPrompt()
 
   val promptUpdaterThread = new Thread(
-    () =>
+    () => {
+      var lastUpdate = System.currentTimeMillis()
       while (!runningState.stopped) {
-        val promptUpdateInterval =
-          if (termDimensions._1.isDefined) promptUpdateIntervalMillis
-          else nonInteractivePromptUpdateIntervalMillis
-
-        try Thread.sleep(promptUpdateInterval)
+        try Thread.sleep(promptUpdateIntervalMillis)
         catch {
           case e: InterruptedException => /*do nothing*/
         }
 
         readTerminalDims(terminfoPath).foreach(termDimensions = _)
 
-        synchronized {
-          if (!runningState.paused && !runningState.stopped) refreshPrompt()
+        val now = System.currentTimeMillis()
+        if (
+          termDimensions._1.nonEmpty ||
+          (now - lastUpdate > nonInteractivePromptUpdateIntervalMillis)
+        ) {
+          lastUpdate = now
+          synchronized {
+            if (!runningState.paused && !runningState.stopped) refreshPrompt()
+          }
         }
-      },
+      }
+    },
     "prompt-logger-updater-thread"
   )
 
diff --git a/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillClientMain.java b/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillClientMain.java
index aecee51404e..24452c2ac16 100644
--- a/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillClientMain.java
+++ b/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillClientMain.java
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
-import mill.main.client.OutFiles;
-import mill.main.client.ServerCouldNotBeStarted;
-import mill.main.client.ServerLauncher;
-import mill.main.client.Util;
+import mill.main.client.*;
 import mill.main.client.lock.Locks;
 
 /**
diff --git a/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillProcessLauncher.java b/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillProcessLauncher.java
index 641b078ebeb..95ccfa02e77 100644
--- a/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillProcessLauncher.java
+++ b/runner/client/src/mill/runner/client/MillProcessLauncher.java
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ static int launchMillNoServer(String[] args) throws Exception {
     boolean interrupted = false;
 
     try {
-      Process p = configureRunMillProcess(builder, processDir);
       MillProcessLauncher.runTermInfoThread(processDir);
+      Process p = configureRunMillProcess(builder, processDir);
       return p.waitFor();
 
     } catch (InterruptedException e) {
@@ -230,18 +230,25 @@ static void writeTerminalDims(boolean tputExists, Path serverDir) throws Excepti
     Files.write(serverDir.resolve(ServerFiles.terminfo), str.getBytes());
   }
 
+  public static boolean checkTputExists() {
+    try {
+      getTerminalDim("cols", false);
+      getTerminalDim("lines", false);
+      return true;
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
   public static void runTermInfoThread(Path serverDir) throws Exception {
+    Path sandbox = serverDir.resolve(ServerFiles.sandbox);
+    Files.createDirectories(sandbox);
+    boolean tputExists = checkTputExists();
+
+    writeTerminalDims(tputExists, serverDir);
     Thread termInfoPropagatorThread = new Thread(
         () -> {
           try {
-            boolean tputExists;
-            try {
-              getTerminalDim("cols", false);
-              getTerminalDim("lines", false);
-              tputExists = true;
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-              tputExists = false;
-            }
             while (true) {
               writeTerminalDims(tputExists, serverDir);
               Thread.sleep(100);